JP7604262B2 - Image capture device and method for controlling image capture device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an imaging device with changeable functions and a method for controlling the imaging device.

In recent years, outdoor cameras have become known that are equipped with a carabiner on the body, making them easy to carry around for use in outdoor situations. Since compactness and durability are important for such outdoor cameras, they do not have LCD screens and have a reduced number of buttons and levers. As a result, changes to the outdoor camera's functions are not made via buttons or levers on the camera's body, but rather via an external device such as a wirelessly connected smartphone.

On the other hand, in outdoor situations, users may not want to take their smartphones with them because they want to avoid them getting submerged in water or getting lost. In such cases, it is difficult to change the functions of the outdoor camera.

It has therefore been proposed to change the camera's functions by connecting an interchangeable lens as an external device to the imaging device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this technology, the interchangeable lens has an IC tag, and the imaging device has an IC tag reader. For example, shading correction information is recorded on the IC tag of the interchangeable lens, and when the interchangeable lens is attached to the imaging device, the imaging device reads the shading correction information using the IC tag reader and performs shading correction processing based on that information.

In addition, accessories that can be attached to a smartphone to give the smartphone new functions are also known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-246130 A JP 2017-45043 A

However, both technologies change the function of an imaging device or smartphone depending on whether or not an interchangeable lens or accessory is attached, so changing the function requires removing the interchangeable lens or accessory. In this case, the removed interchangeable lens or accessory must be kept separate from the camera or smartphone, which raises the risk of losing them, making it difficult to easily change the functions of the imaging device or smartphone.

The object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device and a control method for the imaging device that allows functions to be easily changed.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the imaging device of the present invention is an imaging device capable of attaching an attachment part having a wireless IC tag, and is equipped with a reading means for reading information recorded in the wireless IC tag, an attitude determination means for determining the attitude of the attached attachment part relative to the imaging device, and a function change means for changing a function of the imaging device, wherein when the reading means reads the information recorded in the wireless IC tag, the function change means changes the function of the imaging device in accordance with the determined attitude of the attachment part , and the attachment part has an opening into which the imaging lens of the imaging device fits when attached to the imaging device .

The present invention allows the functions of an imaging device to be easily changed.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a camera as an imaging device and attachment parts that can be attached to the camera in a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view for explaining a state in which an attachable part is attached to the camera of FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the mounting components in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the camera and mounting parts shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram for explaining a method of attaching the attachment part of FIG. 1 to the camera. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a shooting mode change process of the camera according to the first embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining the configuration of a camera as an imaging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention and attachment parts that can be attached to the camera. 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining a specific manner in which the attachment part is attached to the camera in the second embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing how the names of the respective shooting modes are printed on the surface of the mounting part. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a first modified example of the camera and the attachment parts in FIG. 8 . 13 is a flowchart showing a shooting mode change process of the camera according to the second embodiment. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the concept of a communication system including a camera, a smartphone, and a server via the Internet. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second modified example of the camera and the attachment parts in FIG. 8 .

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram that shows a schematic configuration of a camera as an imaging device in the first embodiment of the present invention and an attachment part that can be attached to the camera. In FIG. 1, a substantially flat attachment part 120 can be attached to camera 100, which is a digital camera. Camera 100 and attachment part 120 constitute an imaging system.

The camera 100 includes a camera microcomputer 101 (function changing means), a battery 102, a camera power supply circuit 103, an image processing block 104, an input means 105 such as a release button 305, an AD conversion block 106, a shutter 107, and an imaging lens 304. The camera 100 also includes a lens driving circuit 109, an aperture driving circuit 110, an imaging element 112, a magnet 301, an ID tag reader 115 (reading means), an orientation detection means 116 (posture determination means), and a WLAN 117, and is attached to an external memory 113. The attachment part 120 includes an RFID tag 122 (wireless IC tag), and is attracted to the camera 100 by the magnetic force of the magnet 301. The attachment part 120 may be configured to be attachable to a camera other than the camera 100.

A smartphone (not shown) and the camera 100 are connected via a WLAN 117. This allows the user to use the smartphone to set the functions of the camera 100, display captured images, transfer image files, and receive the unique information of the attachment part 120 recorded in the RFID tag 122. In particular, the unique information recorded in the RFID tag 122 is downloaded from a server on the Internet via the smartphone, and is then recorded in the RFID tag 122 in response to the user's operation of the smartphone. There are various types of attachment parts 120 that are approximately flat, and for example, some have a mirror finish on the back side and some have a specific anime character printed on them. Such information is also recorded in the RFID tag 122 as unique information of the attachment part 120.

The camera microcomputer 101 is a microcomputer that controls each part of the camera 100. When the battery 102 is attached to the camera 100, power is supplied from the camera power circuit 103 to the camera microcomputer 101, and when the power switch (not shown) is turned on, power is supplied to each component of the camera 100 under the control of the camera microcomputer 101. The camera microcomputer 101 communicates with the RFID tag 122 of the attachment part 120 via wireless communication and acquires unique information of the attachment part 120. In addition, the camera microcomputer 101 can detect the orientation of the attachment part 120 attached to the camera 100 using the attachment orientation detection means 116. Note that the method of detecting the orientation of the attached attachment part 120 will be described later. The shutter 107 controls the exposure time of the image sensor 112 under the control of the camera microcomputer 101. The image sensor 112 photoelectrically converts the subject image formed by the imaging lens 304 and outputs it as an analog image signal.

The AD conversion block 106 converts the analog image output signal input from the image sensor 112 into a digital video signal according to the set ISO sensitivity. When taking a still image, the image processing block 104 performs filter processing, color conversion processing, and gamma/knee processing on the digitized image data. The image processing block 104 also performs white balance processing on the digital video signal input from the AD conversion block 106. Furthermore, the image processing block 104 also compresses the image data into JPEG or the like. For example, in the case of continuous shooting mode, the image data is temporarily stored in a buffer memory (not shown), and unprocessed image data is read from the buffer memory and subjected to image processing and compression processing in the image processing block 104. Therefore, the number of continuous shots depends on the storage capacity and storage speed of the buffer memory.

The camera microcomputer 101 checks the storage capacity of the external memory 113 based on the ISO sensitivity set before shooting, the predicted image size data according to the image size and image quality. The input means 105 accepts the user's operation and transmits the operation information to the camera microcomputer 101. The camera microcomputer 101 controls each component of the camera 100 according to the operation information from the input means 105, thereby realizing various functions such as imaging. For example, when the release button 305 (see FIG. 3C) as the input means 105 is half-pressed, the camera microcomputer 101 controls each component of the camera 100 to perform a shooting preparation operation. At this time, the camera microcomputer 101 calculates, for example, a defocus amount, and controls the lens drive circuit 109 based on the calculated defocus amount to focus. After that, when the release button 305 is fully pressed, the camera microcomputer 101 controls each component of the camera 100 to perform a shooting operation. In addition to the release button 305, the input means 105 also includes a mode setting dial, and the selected state of the mode setting dial is detected by the camera microcomputer 101.

2 is an external perspective view for explaining the state in which the mounting part 120 is attached to the camera 100. FIG. 2(A) shows the case in which the front surface of the mounting part 120 faces the outside of the camera 100, and FIG. 2(B) shows the case in which the back surface of the mounting part 120 faces the outside of the camera 100. In this embodiment, the state shown in FIG. 2(A) is defined as the state in which the mounting part 120 is attached to the camera 100 facing up, and the state shown in FIG. 2(B) is defined as the state in which the mounting part 120 is attached to the camera 100 facing down. As shown in FIG. 2(B), a mirror 202 for selfies is formed on the back surface of the mounting part 120, and when a user takes a selfie using the camera 100, the user can confirm himself/herself reflected in the mirror 202 as a subject. On the other hand, no mirror is formed on the front surface of the mounting part 120. Therefore, the reflectance is different between the front surface and the back surface of the mounting part 120.

3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the mounting part 120. FIG. 3(A) is a diagram of the mounting part 120 viewed from the front side, FIG. 3(B) is a diagram of the mounting part 120 viewed from the back side, and FIG. 3(C) is a diagram of the camera 100 viewed from the front without the mounting part 120 attached. As shown in FIG. 3(A), an orientation discrimination member 121 and an RFID tag 122 are embedded in the mounting part 120. The orientation discrimination member 121 is, for example, made of a magnet, and is embedded so that one of the N pole and the S pole is oriented toward the front side of the mounting part 120 and the other pole is oriented toward the back side of the mounting part 120. Therefore, by determining the magnetic pole of the orientation discrimination member 121, the orientation of the mounting part 120 can be determined. As shown in FIG. 3C, in camera 100, magnet 301, imaging lens 304, ID tag reader 115, and orientation detection means 116 are disposed on the surface on which attachment part 120 is attached (hereinafter simply referred to as the "attachment surface"). ID tag reader 115 and orientation detection means 116 are embedded in the surface on which attachment part 120 is attached, and orientation detection means 116 is, for example, a Hall element, and detects the magnetic pole of orientation discrimination member 121. In addition, in camera 100, release button 305 is disposed in a location different from the surface on which attachment part 120 is attached.

When the attachment part 120 is attached to the attachment surface of the camera 100, the camera 100 uses the ID tag reader 115 to read the unique information of the attachment part 120 from the RFID tag 122 by short-range wireless communication. The unique information of the attachment part 120 may be read when the camera 100 is turned on or when a button for reading the unique information is pressed. It may also be read when remotely operated from a smartphone or the like connected wirelessly. Furthermore, the camera 100 may read the unique information of the attachment part 120 periodically at a predetermined interval.

The camera 100 also uses the orientation detection means 116 to detect the magnetic pole of the orientation discrimination member 121 of the attachment part 120 to determine whether the attachment part 120 is attached facing up or facing down. Note that the determination of the orientation of the attachment part 120 is not limited to using the magnetic poles described above, but may also be achieved by forming a physical uneven shape on the attachment surface of the camera 100 or the attachment part 120, and combining the uneven shapes when the attachment part 120 is attached to the camera 100.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the camera 100 and the mounting part 120. The camera 100 is configured by combining an inner base 505, which holds an imaging module 506 and a main board (not shown), between a front cover 501 and a rear cover 504. The front cover 501 and the rear cover 504 are fixed to each other with fixing screws 508. The magnet 301 that holds the mounting part 120 and the imaging lens 304 are fixed to the front cover 501 with adhesive or the like. A flexible printed circuit board 507 is arranged on the inner base 505, and a loop coil antenna 507a that constitutes the ID tag reader 115 and an orientation detection means 116 consisting of a Hall element are arranged on the flexible printed circuit board 507.

The mounting part 120 is configured by combining the RFID tag 122, the orientation discrimination member 121, and the sheet metal member 524 (fixing member) so as to be sandwiched between the front cover 521 and the rear cover 522. The front cover 521 and the rear cover 522 are both molded from resin such as polycarbonate so as not to interfere with wireless communication, and are fixed to each other with double-sided tape 526, adhesive, etc. The RFID tag 122 is configured from a flexible printed circuit board, and has a loop coil antenna 523a and an IC 523b on which unique information of the mounting part 120 is recorded. The RFID tag 122 is positioned and fixed with high precision into the position restriction hole 522a of the rear cover 522 by double-sided tape (not shown). The sheet metal member 524 arranged alongside the RFID tag 122 is made of, for example, an iron plate, and is fixed to the front cover 521 by double-sided tape 525. At this time, the position of the sheet metal member 524 is restricted by a position restriction rib (not shown) located around the through hole 521a of the front cover 521.

When the mounting part 120 is placed on the adsorption surface of the camera 100, the magnet 301 of the camera 100 and the sheet metal member 524 of the mounting part 120 face each other, and the magnet 301 adsorbs the sheet metal member 524. This causes the mounting part 120 to be attached to the camera 100. In this way, since the mounting part 120 is attached to the camera 100 by magnetic force, it is easy to remove it from the camera 100, and as a result, the user can easily reattach the mounting part 120 to the camera 100 by changing the orientation of the mounting part 120. In addition, the sheet metal member 524 is provided with an opening 524a corresponding to the imaging lens 304, and a circular storage hole 524b corresponding to the orientation discrimination member 121 is provided next to the opening 524a. The orientation discrimination member 121 made of a magnet is inserted into the storage hole 524b so that the N pole is directed toward the front cover 521 (the surface of the mounting part 120) and is fixed with adhesive. In addition, a through hole 526a is provided in the double-sided tape 526 to correspond to the RFID tag 122, and the double-sided tape 526 is attached to the front cover 521 and the rear cover 522 so that the through hole 526a coincides with the position control hole 522a of the rear cover 522.

A mirror 202 is attached to a recessed portion (not shown) on the surface of the rear cover 522. The mirror 202 is formed by evaporating a highly reflective material that forms the mirror surface onto a specified sheet material. In the mounting component 120, the thickness of the mirror 202 is set to a small enough thickness that it does not interfere with short-range wireless communication between the ID tag reader 115 and the RFID tag 122.

The through hole 521a of the front cover 521 and the opening 524a of the sheet metal member 524 are formed to face the imaging lens 304 of the camera 100 when the mounting part 120 is attached to the camera 100. In addition, openings similar to the through hole 521a and the opening 524a are formed in the double-sided tape 525 and the rear cover 522. As a result, even when the mounting part 120 is attached to the camera 100, the mounting part 120 does not cover the imaging lens 304, and does not interfere with shooting. As shown in FIG. 4, the RFID tag 122, the orientation discrimination member 121, the sheet metal member 524, and the opening 524a of the sheet metal member 524 are arranged on approximately the same plane.

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of attaching the mounting part 120 to the camera 100. Figure 5 (A) is a front view showing the state in which the mounting part 120 is attached to the camera 100 with the front side facing up, and in order to facilitate understanding, some of the components of the camera 100 and the mounting part 120 are drawn so that they can be seen through. Figure 5 (B) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state in which the mounting part 120 is mechanically locked to the camera 100. Figure 5 (C) is a perspective view showing a state in which the mounting part 120 is not properly attached to the camera 100. Figure 5 (D) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state of mechanical locking when the mounting part 120 is not properly attached to the camera 100. Figure 5 (E) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state of mechanical locking when the mounting part 120 is properly attached to the camera 100.

When the mounting part 120 is mounted on the camera 100, the position of the mounting part 120 is restricted by the vertical wall portion 501b formed around the mounting surface of the front cover 501 of the camera 100 and the convex shape 501a formed around the imaging lens 304. At this time, the convex shape 501a fits into the through hole 521a of the front cover 521, stabilizing the positioning of the mounting part 120 relative to the camera 100.

When the attachment part 120 is attached to the camera 100, the RFID tag 122 of the attachment part 120 overlaps with the ID tag reader 115 (loop coil antenna 507a) of the camera 100 in a front view. This allows for smooth short-range wireless communication between the ID tag reader 115 and the RFID tag 122, and ensures that the unique information of the attachment part 120 can be read. At this time, as will be described later in FIG. 6, the orientation detection means 116 of the camera 100 detects the magnetic pole of the orientation discrimination member 121 of the attachment part 120, thereby discriminating the orientation of the attachment part 120 attached to the camera 100.

When the mounting part 120 is attached to the camera 100, the orientation discrimination member 121 of the mounting part 120 overlaps with the orientation detection means 116 of the camera 100 in a front view. Here, in the mounting part 120, the orientation discrimination member 121 is disposed at approximately the center of the mounting part 120 in the vertical direction. When the orientation of the mounting part 120 is changed and attached to the camera 100, the mounting part 120 is inverted vertically, but the vertical position of the orientation discrimination member 121 disposed at approximately the center of the mounting part 120 in the vertical direction does not change. As a result, regardless of the orientation of the mounting part 120 attached to the camera 100, the orientation detection means 116 can face the orientation discrimination member 121, and the magnetic pole of the orientation detection means 116 can be reliably detected by the orientation discrimination member 121. As a result, the orientation of the mounting part 120 can be determined without increasing the number of orientation detection means 116 and orientation discrimination members 121.

A rib shape 521b is formed at the end of the front cover 521 of the mounting part 120. In addition, the vertical wall portion 501b of the front cover 501 of the camera 100 is formed in a cross section like an eaves, and has an eaves portion 501c. When the mounting part 120 is mounted to the camera 100, the rib shape 521b enters the eaves portion 501c, so that the mounting part 120 is mechanically locked to the camera 100. In addition, the eaves portion 501c is formed so that the rib shape 521b can enter regardless of the orientation of the mounting part 120 mounted to the camera 100. This makes it possible to mechanically prevent the mounting part 120 from floating up or falling off from the camera 100 regardless of the orientation of the mounting part 120 mounted to the camera 100. Note that a similar effect can also be obtained by forming a recess at the end of the front cover 521 of the mounting part 120, forming a convex shape on the vertical wall portion 501b of the front cover 501 of the camera 100, and having this convex shape enter the recess described above.

However, since the attachment part 120 is attracted to the camera 100 by the magnet 301, even if the attachment part 120 is not properly attached to the camera 100, the attachment part 120 may be held by the camera 100 (FIG. 5C). In such a state, the imaging lens 304 does not face the through hole 521a of the front cover 521, and a part of the imaging lens 304 is covered by the attachment part 120, making it difficult for the camera 100 to capture an image. On the other hand, in such a state, the orientation discrimination member 121 and the orientation detection means 116 do not face each other (FIG. 5D), and the orientation detection means 116 cannot detect the magnetic force of the orientation discrimination member 121 or can only detect an extremely weak magnetic force. Therefore, if the orientation discrimination member 121 cannot be detected or can only detect an extremely weak magnetic force, it may be determined that the attachment part 120 is not properly attached to the camera 100. In this case, a warning sound may be emitted from a speaker (not shown) of the camera 100, or an LED light (not shown) of the camera 100 may be illuminated to inform the user that the attachment part 120 is not properly attached to the camera 100.

In addition, in the mounting part 120, the orientation discrimination member 121, the sheet metal member 524, and the RFID tag 122 are arranged in the space between the front cover 521 and the rear cover 522, which are located approximately in the center of the thickness direction of the mounting part 120 (FIG. 5(E)). This makes it possible to prevent differences in the holding force of the mounting part 120 by the magnet 301 and the detection ability of the orientation detection means 116 to detect the magnetic force of the orientation discrimination member 121 depending on the orientation of the mounting part 120 attached to the camera 100.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the shooting mode change process of the camera 100 in the first embodiment. The process of Figure 6 is executed by the camera microcomputer 101 of the camera 100, for example, according to a program deployed in a RAM (not shown).

First, when the attachment part 120 is attached to the camera 100, the camera microcomputer 101 uses the ID tag reader 115 to determine whether or not the unique information of the attachment part 120 is recorded in the RFID tag 122 (step S401). If the unique information of the attachment part 120 is not recorded in the RFID tag 122, this process ends. If the unique information of the attachment part 120 is recorded in the RFID tag 122, the ID tag reader 115 reads the unique information of the attachment part 120 from the RFID tag 122 (for example, information that the attachment part 120 has a mirror 202) (step S402).

Next, the orientation detection means 116 detects the magnetic pole of the orientation discrimination member 121 to determine the orientation of the attachment part 120 attached to the camera 100 (step S403). In this embodiment, for example, when the orientation detection means 116 detects the north pole of the orientation discrimination member 121, it is determined that the attachment part 120 is attached facing down because the front cover 521 of the attachment part 120 faces the attachment surface of the camera 100.

If it is determined in step S403 that the attachment part 120 is attached facing up, this process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the attachment part 120 is attached facing down, the camera microcomputer 101 changes the shooting mode of the camera 100 to selfie mode so that the user can reflect himself or herself on the mirror 202 (step S404). Furthermore, each setting value of the camera 100 is changed to a setting value previously set by the user (step S405). Examples of setting values previously set by the user include focus settings such as face priority or pupil priority, exposure settings, effect settings such as skin beautification, or the number of seconds set for the self-timer.

When the change of the setting value in step S405 is completed, the camera microcomputer 101 notifies the user that the change of the shooting mode is completed (step S406). Methods for notifying the user that the change of the shooting mode is completed include, for example, sound from a speaker, illumination of an LED light, and vibration caused by a motor (not shown) built into the camera 100. After that, the camera microcomputer 101 ends this process and transitions the camera 100 to an image capture standby state. Note that if it is determined in step S401 that no unique information is recorded or if it is determined in step S403 that the camera 100 is attached facing up, the shooting mode of the camera 100 may be changed to the normal shooting mode before ending this process.

According to this embodiment, the shooting mode of the camera 100 is changed according to the orientation of the attachment part 120 attached to the camera 100, so the user does not need to hold the attachment part 120 removed to change the shooting mode separately from the camera 100. This allows the user to easily change the shooting mode of the camera 100 without worrying about losing the attachment part 120, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the attachment part 120 is attached upside down and the shooting mode is changed to the selfie mode, each setting value of the camera 100 is changed to a setting value previously set by the user. This eliminates the need for the user to set focus, exposure, or effects appropriate for the selfie mode, greatly reducing the effort involved in changing the shooting mode.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the attachment part 120 is not only attached to the camera 100 by magnetic force, but also mechanically locked to the camera 100 using the rib shape 521b and the eaves part 501c. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the attached attachment part 120 from coming off the camera 100 even in outdoor scenes where the user's movements become more intense.

In the present embodiment, a case where the shooting mode of the camera 100 is changed has been described as an example of changing the function of the camera 100 according to the orientation of the attached attachment part 120. However, changing the function of the camera 100 according to the orientation of the attached attachment part 120 is not limited to changing the shooting mode. For example, if a specific animated character is printed on the back side of the attachment part 120 instead of the mirror 202, when it is determined that the attachment part 120 is attached facing down, the operation sound of the camera 100 may be changed to the character's voice. Furthermore, an effect may be added to the image captured by the camera 100, such as a frame using a character or a subject being reflected together with the character.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment described above in terms of configuration and operation, but differs from the first embodiment in that the function of the camera is changed depending on the position around the optical axis of the imaging lens of the mounted component. Therefore, a description of the overlapping configurations and operations will be omitted, and the different configurations and operations will be described below.

Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a camera as an imaging device according to the second embodiment of the present invention and an attachment part that can be attached to the camera. Figure 7 (A) is a diagram of the attachment part 820 viewed from the front side, Figure 7 (B) is a diagram of the attachment part 820 viewed from the back side, and Figure 7 (C) is a diagram of the camera 800 viewed from the front without the attachment part 820 attached. As shown in Figure 7 (A), the attachment part 820 has a position determination member 821 made of a magnet and an RFID tag 122 embedded therein. Also, as shown in Figure 7 (C), in the camera 800, a magnet 801, an imaging lens 304, an ID tag reader 115, and four position determination means 803a to 803d are arranged on the attachment surface of the attachment part 820. Each of the position determination means 803a to 803d is made of, for example, a Hall element, and detects the magnetic field of the position determination member 821.

When the mounting part 820 is attached to the mounting surface of the camera 800, the camera 800 uses the ID tag reader 115 to read the unique information of the mounting part 820 from the RFID tag 122 by short-range wireless communication. The timing at which the unique information of the mounting part 820 is read is the same as the timing at which the unique information of the mounting part 120 in the first embodiment is read.

In this embodiment, the mounting part 820 can be mounted on the camera 800 at multiple positions around the optical axis of the imaging lens 304 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "lens optical axis"). Specifically, as shown in Figures 8(A) to 8(D) described below, the mounting part 820 can be mounted on the camera 800 at 90° intervals around the lens optical axis. In the camera 800, each position determination means 803a to 803d is arranged at 90° intervals around the lens optical axis. Also, in the mounting part 820, the position determination member 821 is arranged so as to face one of the position determination means 803a to 803d when the mounting part 820 is mounted on the camera 800. Therefore, in this embodiment, by determining which position determination means 803a to 803d detects the magnetic field of the position determination member 821, it is possible to determine at which rotation angle around the lens optical axis the mounting part 820 is mounted on the camera 800. Note that the method of determining at what rotation angle around the lens optical axis the mounting part 820 is attached to the camera 800 is not limited to using the magnetic field described above. For example, it may be achieved by forming a physical uneven shape on the mounting surface of the camera 800 or the mounting part 820, and determining which concave shape the convex shape fits into.

Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining a specific manner in which the mounting part 820 is mounted on the camera 800. Figure 8 (A) shows a case in which the mounting part 820 is mounted on the camera 800 at a rotation angle of 0° around the lens optical axis. In this case, the position discrimination member 821 faces the position discrimination means 803a. Therefore, when the position discrimination means 803a detects the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821, this corresponds to a case in which the mounting part 820 is mounted on the camera 800 at a rotation angle of 0° around the lens optical axis. In this embodiment, when the position discrimination means 803a detects the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821, the shooting mode of the camera 800 is set to the normal mode.

Figure 8 (B) shows the case where the mounting part 820 is attached to the camera 800 at a rotation angle of 90° around the lens optical axis. In this case, the position discrimination member 821 faces the position discrimination means 803b. Therefore, when the position discrimination means 803b detects the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821, this corresponds to the case where the mounting part 820 is attached to the camera 800 at a rotation angle of 90° around the lens optical axis. In this embodiment, when the position discrimination means 803b detects the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821, the shooting mode of the camera 800 is set to the sports mode.

Figure 8 (C) shows the case where the attachment part 820 is attached to the camera 800 at a rotation angle of 270° around the lens optical axis. In this case, the position discrimination member 821 faces the position discrimination means 803c. Therefore, when the position discrimination means 803c detects the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821, this corresponds to the case where the attachment part 820 is attached to the camera 800 at a rotation angle of 270° around the lens optical axis. In this embodiment, when the position discrimination means 803c detects the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821, the shooting mode of the camera 800 is set to the night view mode.

Figure 8 (D) shows the case where the attachment part 820 is attached to the camera 800 at a rotation angle of 180° around the lens optical axis. In this case, the position discrimination member 821 faces the position discrimination means 803d. Therefore, when the position discrimination means 803d detects the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821, this corresponds to the case where the attachment part 820 is attached to the camera 800 at a rotation angle of 180° around the lens optical axis. In this embodiment, when the position discrimination means 803d detects the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821, the shooting mode of the camera 800 is set to the selfie mode.

In any mode, after the mode is set, the settings of the camera 100 are changed to the settings previously set by the user corresponding to the mode.

In this embodiment, the convex shape 501a formed around the imaging lens 304 is formed in a substantially square shape in a front view, and the mounting part 820 has a through hole 820a formed in a substantially square shape in a front view at a position facing the imaging lens 304. When the mounting part 820 is mounted on the camera 800, the convex shape 501a fits into the through hole 820a, thereby defining the rotation angle of the camera 800 around the lens optical axis relative to the mounting part 820, and stabilizing the positioning of the mounting part 120 relative to the camera 100. In addition, the four corners of the convex shape 501a and the through hole 820a are finished in an R shape, taking into consideration the ease of fitting the convex shape 501a into the through hole 820a.

Each of the position discrimination means 803a to 803d can detect not only the magnetic field of the position discrimination member 821 but also the magnetic pole. Therefore, for example, if the N pole or S pole of the position discrimination member 821 is arranged so as to be oriented toward the surface of the attachment part 820, each of the position discrimination means 803a to 803 can detect not only the magnetic field but also the magnetic pole, thereby detecting the orientation of the attachment part 820. The method of determining the orientation of the attachment part 820 is the same as the determination method in the first embodiment. In this case, the camera 800 can detect eight different positional relationships with the attachment part 820, and as a result, a maximum of eight shooting modes can be set. Note that the shape of the convex shape 501a and the through hole 820a when viewed from the front is not limited to a substantially square (rectangle) shape, and may be formed, for example, into a substantially regular pentagonal shape or a substantially regular octagonal shape. This increases the number of positional relationships with the attachment part 820 that the camera 800 can detect, and increases the number of shooting modes that can be set. However, as the number of settable shooting modes increases in this way, the user may forget which rotation angle corresponds to which shooting mode. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 9, the name (display) of the shooting mode corresponding to each rotation angle around the lens optical axis may be printed on the surface of the mounting part 820.

In addition, in this embodiment, the attachment part 820 and the camera 800 have a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, but as shown in FIG. 10, the attachment part 820 and the camera 800 may be configured to have a substantially square shape when viewed from the front. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 8(C) and FIG. 8(D), a part of the attachment part 820 will not protrude from the camera 800, improving the portability of the camera 800, which is particularly useful in outdoor scenes where the user is moving around vigorously.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the shooting mode change process of the camera 800 in the second embodiment. The process of Figure 11 is executed by the camera microcomputer 101 of the camera 800, for example, in accordance with a program deployed in a RAM (not shown).

First, when the attachment part 820 is attached to the camera 800, the camera microcomputer 101 determines whether any of the position determination means 803a to 803d detects a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more (step S901). If any of the position determination means 803a to 803d does not detect a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more, the process returns to step S901. If any of the position determination means 803a to 803d detects a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more, the process uses the ID tag reader 115 to determine whether the unique information of the attachment part 820 is recorded in the RFID tag 122 (step S902). If the unique information of the attachment part 820 is not recorded in the RFID tag 122, the process ends. If the unique information of the attachment part 820 is recorded in the RFID tag 122, the ID tag reader 115 reads the unique information of the attachment part 820 from the RFID tag 122 (step S903). The unique information corresponds to information that the mounting part 820 can be mounted on the camera 800 by rotating around the lens optical axis.

Next, the camera microcomputer 101 identifies which of the position discrimination means 803a to 803d has detected a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more (step S904). After that, the camera microcomputer 101 changes the shooting mode of the camera 800 according to the rotation angle around the lens optical axis of the mounting part 820 attached to the camera 800. Specifically, the shooting mode of the camera 800 is changed according to the position discrimination means 803 that detected a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more (step S905). For example, when the position discrimination means 803a detects a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more (when the rotation angle around the lens optical axis of the mounting part 820 is 0°), the shooting mode of the camera 800 is maintained in the normal mode. When the position discrimination means 803b detects a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more (when the rotation angle around the lens optical axis of the mounting part 820 is 90°), the shooting mode of the camera 800 is changed to the sports mode. When the position discrimination means 803c detects a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more (when the rotation angle of the mounting part 820 around the lens optical axis is 270°), the shooting mode of the camera 800 is changed to night scene mode. When the position discrimination means 803d detects a magnetic field of a predetermined value or more (when the rotation angle of the mounting part 820 around the lens optical axis is 180°), the shooting mode of the camera 800 is changed to selfie mode. At this time, each setting value of the camera 100 is changed to a setting value previously set by the user corresponding to the mode to be changed. After that, the camera microcomputer 101 notifies the user of the completion of the shooting mode change (step S906). The method of notifying the completion of the shooting mode change is the same as in the first embodiment.

Next, the camera microcomputer 101 determines whether the mounting part 820 has been removed from the camera 800 (step S907). If the mounting part 820 has been removed from the camera 800, the camera microcomputer 101 returns the settings of the camera 800 to the initial settings (step S909). For example, the shooting mode is returned to the normal mode. After that, the camera microcomputer 101 notifies the user that the settings of the camera 800 have been returned to the initial settings (step S910) and ends this process. On the other hand, if the mounting part 820 has not been removed from the camera 800, it determines whether the rotation angle of the mounting part 820 around the lens optical axis relative to the camera 800 has been changed (step S908). This determination is made based on whether the position determination means 803 that detected a magnetic field equal to or greater than a predetermined value has been changed. If the rotation angle of the mounting part 820 around the lens optical axis has been changed, the process returns to step S904. If the rotation angle of the mounting part 820 around the lens optical axis has not been changed, the process ends and the camera 800 transitions to an image capture standby state.

According to this embodiment, the shooting mode of the camera 800 is changed according to the rotation angle around the lens optical axis of the attachment part 820 attached to the camera 800, so the user does not need to hold the attachment part 820 removed to change the shooting mode separately from the camera 800. This allows the user to easily change the shooting mode of the camera 800 without worrying about losing the attachment part 820, as in the first embodiment.

Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the concept of a communication system including a camera, a smartphone, and a server via the Internet. For example, in the communication system, a digital camera 800, a server 730, and a smartphone 740 (information processing terminal) each have a communication function and are connected to each other via the Internet. In such a communication system, for example, as shown in the table of Figure 12, billing information may be assigned to each shooting mode of the camera 800. The timing for assigning billing information to each shooting mode may be, for example, when a user uses the smartphone 740 instead of an admission ticket. In this case, the user accesses the server 730 from the smartphone 740 at a sports venue, event venue, theme park, etc., performs user registration, and purchases an activation ticket for an addable function. This activation ticket includes unique information of each shooting mode recorded in the RFID tag 122 of the attachment part 820 attached to the camera 800, and identification information billing information indicating whether or not a charge is applied to the use of each shooting mode.

First, when an activation ticket is purchased, identification information billing information is assigned to the smartphone 740. Then, when the camera 800 is connected to the smartphone 740, the identification information billing information is assigned to the camera 800 and recorded in the RFID tag 122. In addition, an identification bit indicating whether or not the identification information billing information has been recorded is recorded in the non-volatile storage area of the RFID tag 122, and if the identification information billing information has been recorded, a "1" is recorded as the identification bit. In addition, the identification information billing information is used to activate the unique information of the recorded attachment part 820.

The above describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

For example, in the second embodiment in which the mounting part 820 can be attached to the camera 800 by rotating it around the lens optical axis, the camera 800 is provided with four position determination means 803a to 803d, but the number of position determination members is not limited to four. For example, as shown in FIG. 13(A), only one position determination means 903 may be provided to the camera 900, and only one position determination member 921 may be provided to the mounting part 920 that can be attached to the camera 900 by rotating it around the lens optical axis. In this case, it is possible to distinguish between a case in which the mounting part 920 is attached to the camera 900 at a rotation angle of 0° around the lens optical axis (FIG. 13(B)) and a case in which the mounting part 920 is attached to the camera 900 at a rotation angle other than 0° around the lens optical axis (FIG. 13(C)). That is, it becomes possible to set two shooting modes. In this way, the number of settable shooting modes can be set according to the number of position determination means.

The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of each of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors of a computer in the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more of the functions.

100, 800, 900 Camera 101 Camera microcomputer 115 ID tag reader 116 Orientation detection means 120, 820, 920 Mounting part 121 Orientation discrimination member 122 RFID tag 304 Imaging lens 524 Sheet metal member 524a Openings 803a to 803d, 903 Position discrimination means 821, 921 Position discrimination member

Claims (20)

An imaging device capable of mounting an attachment part having a wireless IC tag,
A reading means for reading information recorded in the wireless IC tag;
an attitude determination means for determining an attitude of the mounted component relative to the imaging device;
a function changing unit for changing a function of the imaging device,
the function changing means changes a function of the imaging device in accordance with the determined attitude of the attachment part when the reading means reads the information recorded in the wireless IC tag,
The imaging device, wherein the attachment part has an opening into which an imaging lens of the imaging device fits when the attachment part is attached to the imaging device . The imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the function change means changes the shooting mode of the imaging device. The imaging device according to claim 2, characterized in that the function change means changes the imaging mode of the imaging device to a selfie mode. The imaging device according to claim 3, characterized in that in the selfie mode, the settings of the imaging device are set in advance by a user. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the function change means changes the setting values of the imaging device. The mounting component has a front surface and a back surface,
the posture determination means determines whether a front surface or a back surface of the attachment part faces an outside of the imaging device,
The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the function changing means changes a function of the imaging device depending on whether a front surface or a back surface of the mounting part faces outside the imaging device. The imaging device according to claim 6, characterized in that the reflectance of the front surface of the mounting part is different from the reflectance of the back surface. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the function change means changes the imaging mode of the imaging device to a selfie mode when the surface with high reflectivity faces the outside of the imaging device. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that when the mounting part is mounted to the imaging device, the mounting part is mechanically engaged with the imaging device. the mounting component can be mounted at a plurality of positions around an optical axis of an imaging lens of the imaging device,
The position determination means determines at which position the attachment is attached around the optical axis,
6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the function changing means changes a function of the imaging device in accordance with a position at which the attachment part is attached. The imaging device according to claim 10, characterized in that the mounting part has a display indicating a function corresponding to the position where the mounting part is mounted. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the function change means restores the settings of the imaging device to the initial settings when it detects that the attachment part has been removed from the imaging device. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the posture determination means includes a Hall element and detects the magnetic field or magnetic pole of the magnet of the mounting part to determine the posture of the mounting part relative to the imaging device. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that after detecting the attachment of the attachment part to the imaging device, the reading means reads the information recorded in the wireless IC tag. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the function change means activates the unique information of the attachment part using the identification information recorded in the wireless IC tag. The imaging device according to claim 15, characterized in that the identification information recorded in the wireless IC tag is obtained from the server by operating the information processing terminal in a communication system including a server, an information processing terminal, and the imaging device, and is recorded in the wireless IC tag of the attachment part from the information processing terminal. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the attachment part has an antenna for the wireless IC tag and a fixing member for fixing it to the imaging device, and the antenna, the fixing member and the opening are arranged on approximately the same plane. A method for controlling an imaging device capable of mounting an attachment part having a wireless IC tag, comprising:
a reading step of reading information recorded in the wireless IC tag;
an attitude determination step of determining an attitude of the attached attachment component with respect to the imaging device;
A function changing step of changing a function of the imaging device,
In the function changing step, when the information recorded in the wireless IC tag is read in the reading step, a function of the imaging device is changed in accordance with the determined attitude of the attachment part ,
The method for controlling an imaging device, wherein the attachment part has an opening into which an imaging lens of the imaging device fits when the attachment part is attached to the imaging device . The mounting component has a front surface and a back surface,
In the posture determination step, it is determined whether a front surface or a back surface of the attachment part faces an outside of the imaging device,
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the function changing step changes the function of the imaging device depending on whether the front or back surface of the mounting part faces outside the imaging device. the mounting component can be mounted at a plurality of positions around an optical axis of an imaging lens of the imaging device,
In the posture determination step, it is determined at what position around the optical axis the attachment component is attached,
20. The method of claim 18, wherein in the function changing step, the function of the imaging device is changed depending on a position at which the attachment part is attached.